This month we are collecting your stories about the good things Americans are doing to make their community a better place. Some of your contributions will become blog posts and the project will end with a story that weaves together submissions to make a story of Americans by Americans for Americans.

On Chicago's northside, Ally Brisbin and Carla Bruni recently got fed up with throwaway America and launched Community Glue Workshop — an initiative to promote repairing, rather than replacing, worn-out toys, appliances and other possessions.

Carla's background is in historic preservation and Ally owns Kitchen Sink, a neighborhood coffee shop. Their project is the perfect marriage of two important themes that seem to be disappearing: handiwork know-how and neighborly bonds.

For now they host their monthly Fix-Up events at Ally's café, but they hope in the future to offer skill-share workshops and longer-term projects at a permanent place of their own.

Erin Stevens practices anaplastology — prosthetic restoration of facial anatomy when surgical reconstruction is not possible — in Chicago. She listens to WBEZ.